University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler said he's not concerned about the pace of finding a successor to fired men's basketball coach Tubby Smith.

"The process is working," Kaler said Tuesday, April 2. "There's absolutely no reason to be concerned."

Smith was fired March 25 and agreed to a deal with Texas Tech on Monday. Gophers athletics director Norwood Teague's offer to former Gopher and Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders was turned down Saturday, the Pioneer Press reported.

"I've got confidence Norwood is going to bring us a great guy," Kaler said.

Kaler doesn't seem disappointed that Minnesota still doesn't have a coach.

"I think the average search is something like two weeks in this line of work," he said.

It looks like Virginia's Tony Bennett could be back on the Gophers' basketball coaching radar, and there was talk Tuesday that Colorado's Tad Boyle could enter the picture, too.

There were plenty of dignitaries for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Gophers' $7.2 million, 1,420-seat Siebert Field on Tuesday afternoon. Besides Jim Pohlad, who donated the lead gift of $2.5 million, and Dave St. Peter, Terry Ryan, Paul Molitor and (former Gophers pitchers) Glen Perkins and Cole De Vries from the Twins, there also was Kaler, former AD Joel Maturi, donor Wheelock Whitney and assorted Gophers alumni, including players from Minnesota's 1956, 1960 and 1964 NCAA championship teams.

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Perkins donated $125,000 toward the new ballpark. Molitor, the hall of famer who was honorary chairman for the project, wore his Gophers "M" jacket.

Teague and his assistants didn't make it to the ceremony, apparently out of town on a basketball coach search.

Gophers Hall of Fame baseball coach John Anderson, who is beginning his 33rd season and spent an additional four as a player, was moved.

"This is my 37th year connected with the Golden Gopher baseball family and may be the proudest day in my 37-year history," Anderson said. "I'm proud for the former players, I'm proud for the future players, I'm proud we were able to create a facility that deserves the name of (legendary coach) Dick Siebert."

This is the University of Minnesota's 125th year of baseball. The Gophers open their new Siebert Field Big Ten schedule with a three-game series against Ohio State beginning Friday.

Jerry Kindall, the former Gophers All-America shortstop from St. Paul Washington, will do Big Ten Network analysis of Sunday's Minnesota-Ohio State game at Siebert Field.

Kindall, who turns 77 next month, played for the Twins in 1964-65, then went on to coach Arizona to three NCAA championships during 25 years.

"I'm just delighted I got the assignment for Siebert Field," said Kindall, who played for Siebert's 1956 NCAA champions.

Kindall has lived in Tucson for more than 40 years. He had a hip replaced last July.

Among bids for Alan Page's foundation online fundraiser this week is $175 for an autographed Jared Allen Vikings jersey.

Glen Mason's dismissal by the Gophers was the second-worst firing in college football in the past 10 years, according to elevenwarriors.com, which ranks Ole Miss' dismissal of David Cutcliffe as No. 1.

The Vikings will choose inside linebacker Manti Te'o of Notre Dame with their No. 23 pick the draft and wideout Da'Rick Rogers from Tennessee Tech with their No. 25 pick, projects Shawn Zobel in his extensively researched report.

But NFL scouts love wideout Justin Hunter of Tennessee, and if available, he would be expected to be chosen before Rogers.

Te'o, by the way, would be the sixth Notre Dame player on the Vikings' roster.

Pssst: Before beating the Twins 4-2 in the chilly season opener Monday afternoon, 2011 Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers asked if Target Field could provide an 80-degree room he could stay in between innings. The Twins were unable to accommodate.

Junior defenseman Nate Schmidt, who left the Gophers on Tuesday for the Washington Capitals, and junior forward teammate Zach Budish, who is headed to Nashville, can expect signing bonuses of $180,000 and minor league salaries of $67,500.